The recognition that sport can play a vital social role is widely recognised within Scotland, as detailed in Sport 21: Nothing Left to Chance (Scottish Sports Council 1998). One of the three visions outlined for Scotland within this document was that Scotland should be “a country where sport is more widely available to all”. A review of Sport 21 (sportscotland 2002a) was undertaken to identify the key actions that need to be addressed now to achieve the Sport 21 targets.

This review noted key findings relating to equality, mentioning that inequalities in sport remain largely in place, with a particular need to increase efforts to raise sports participation among all age groups including those from socially disadvantaged communities.

Women and sport forms an important part of the sportscotland equity strategy, which is aimed at helping to achieve a sporting environment that supports and promotes the principles of equity. One part of this strategy is to ensure that women are sufficiently represented in leadership roles in Scotland. In order to provide information on the current position of women in sport leadership and to provide baseline information for future reference, sportscotland commissioned George Street Research to undertake this research. Details of the study design are contained within this report.